UFC 274 fight card: Charles Oliveira vs. Justin Gaethje set for lightweight title fight in May
The Brazilian champion will put his title on the line on May 7 from the Footprint Center in Phoenix
Charles Oliveira vs. Justin Gaethje is on for UFC 274.
The UFC confirmed the bout during the UFC 272 pay-per-view broadcast. UFC 274 card will take place at Footprint Center in Phoenix. The city has played host to three past UFC events, though UFC 274 will be the first pay-per-view event held in Phoenix.
Oliveira (32-8, 1 NC) scored the first defense of his 155-pound title in December at UFC 269 when he submitted fan-favorite Dustin Poirier in the third round. CBS Sports' Fighter of the Year runner-up has won 10 fights in a row with nine finishes, including a TKO victory over Michael Chandler to claim the vacant strap and a submission of Kevin Lee.
Gaethje (23-3) enters the fight coming off his 2021 Fight of the Year against Chandler at UFC 268 on Nov. 6. The former UFC interim lightweight champion has won five of his last six fights with four TKOs. The only setback in that stretch was a title unification bout vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 254, where he was submitted before the Russian announced his retirement.
A UFC light heavyweight title fight pitting champion Glover Teixeira vs. Jiri Prochazka was originally planned for the event though it was eventually pushed to UFC 275.